Outcast by Appearance
by Valikinz
Summary: Her whole life, she had been ostracized from the dangerous world of Pokemon, instead brought up to be a "lady". Now, she decides to take her life into her own hands and go off on her own. Her Pokemon adventure begins now. Based on Pokemon Emerald
1. One Year into the Future

**Author's Note:** Ahahaha, I'm so horrible: I actually rewrote the entire first chapter (or well, made a lot of changes). Why? Because my perfectionist self couldn't stand the first version of this chapter, so it had to take charge and rewrite it. Not such a good thing. Bad Val! *smacks self* FIRST VERSION IS DELETED FOREVERRR. **I'm so sorry I took so long, but I took a (long) hiatus. **If it helps, I have enough material atm to write 3 sequels after ObA... haha.

Basically I just did a heck load of changes, including changing character perspective from third person to first. To be honest, I haven't written in first person in the longest time and have more experience with third person, but hey, nothing helps me improve as a writer more than experimenting. Anywho, seeing as in-game you're definitely first person the entire way through, it feels more appropriate (and first person helps me character develop Eddie more). Let's just see how it goes. (:

This is quite obvious, but I split up the original chapter 1 (was way too long for one single chapter!). In fact, this specific chapter has nothing with the game, LOL. It's basically a prologue I made up so my love (read: Steven) could make some sort of indirect debut in this first chap.

Haha, all new readers are probably going "...what?" I'll explain more next chapter (which I shall publish tomorrow, PINKY SWEAR). But all you need to know for now is that **THIS WHOLE FANFIC IS BASED ON POKEMON EMERALD. **It's also for the shipping **HoennChampionShipping **(Steven x May), and will be throughout the entire story (do not be fooled - this fanfic is NOT fluff! I hate fluff, I like developed romances). Why the girl's named "Eddie" instead of "May" I will explain later on - just so this won't get too lengthy. But just keep in mind Eddie is everything May is (appearance included), except the name.

No more ranting, no one cares. Let's get on with the damn story.

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**CHAPTER 1**: One Year into the Future

**MEETING STEVEN** has always been one of the most memorable events in my entire life. My original meeting with him stands out as being one of the few milestone events I have ever experienced. You know those sorts of events; the kind that happen sometime throughout your life and don't seem to leave you alone. I guess one's wedding day or the death of a beloved are two to name, as most people who go through such occurrences never seem to quite forget them.

I would categorize my meeting with Steven under such an event. Many would agree with me that it certainly is an episode in my life I probably won't be quick to forget, seeing as even over a year after said event, I still remember the details as if it had just happened yesterday. Hell, I even remember the most insignificant details, such as the condition of our clothes and the little speck of dirt that was just below Steven's left eye. Even the events leading up to that moment are crystal clear.

Of course, there are many theories circulating as to the one _key _event leading up to that meeting. My own mother figures that if it weren't for her deep involvement in my childhood, I never would have met him (to be honest, I just think she uses that as an excuse to try to get me to do what she wants). Mr. Stone, Steven's father, seems to theorize that if it weren't for his initial "good eye" in seeing me as a reliable errand girl (not exactly his wording, but pretty much what he said), I never would have even _heard _of Steven, so I have to give him all credit. Steven himself says we need to give all thanks to Team Magma and Team Aqua, and I'm highly suspicious to that theory being the reason he doesn't seem to totally hate Archie and Maxie.

Don't get me wrong, it's true all those events played significant roles in leading up to that sacred meeting. However, I just don't think any of them were that one significant "key" that led up to that beloved day.

Of course, while it certainly can't be denied that my meeting with Steven is significant, not everyone sees it as a positive sort of milestone. Like… take the death of a beloved, as I mentioned earlier. I mean, that's what one would consider a milestone event, but not necessarily a happy one, right?

My mother is one to view Steven in such a light, thinking he's a "horrible influence" on me (which is funny, because from what I've noticed, she seems to enjoy having him over). Mr. Stone originally agreed with my mother, but I think over time he started being a bit open-minded, and he's now switched to my side (although I really can't be sure about anything with him). Steven, shockingly, is still trying to decide whether us meeting is considered "good" or "bad", but, to be honest, I've gotten so used to his way of thinking I don't get offended anymore.

Me? If it wasn't already strikingly obvious, I see it as the best thing to ever happen to me. Actually, no, scratch that; Fire was the best thing to ever happen to me. Either way, it ranks up pretty high! I would be a completely different person if it weren't for Steven, that I'm pretty sure of. (Well, okay, it's not really fair to give Steven _all_ the credit.)

My mother seems to agree with me on that, though I'm not sure if she sees that as a good or bad thing (just like Steven, she seems uncertain and indecisive of many things). Even as we speak, she's out in Petalburg buying me the newest Pokemon doll for my huge collection. I'd have gone to get it myself, but I'm kind of waiting for a call.

Well, I wouldn't really call it "waiting" for a call, I'd say more like… expecting a call. I mean, I just happen to know Steven is due to call me any minute now, and I just find it rude to not answer him knowing full well he's about to ring. Otherwise, I wouldn't be going out of my way to do so. I'm just being courteous, really, and normally I'd call him back later.

So here I am, sitting up in bed, twirling a strand of my brown hair around my finger as I wait – er, expect, I mean - for him to call. I glance at my reflection in the mirror opposite of my bed, where I can see some loose strands sticking out on top of my head. As I'm reaching up to try to flatten them down, my PokeNav starts going off. I nearly jump off my bed in surprise.

I let it ring for a few seconds before answering it, because, you know, I don't want him to think I've been waiting for him to call all day (which I obviously haven't). After the third ring, I answer, and lift the PokeNav up to my ear.

"Hello?" I say in what I hope sounds like an I-definitely-was-not-expecting-a-call-now-and-I-do-wonder-who-it-is tone.

"Hey, Eddie," I hear from the other end of my PokeNav. My stomach does a weird flip-flop at the sound of his voice, and I try hard to keep my breathing even as I answer. God Arceus, why does his voice have to sound so… so _sexy_?

"Oh, hello," I finally manage to say. "Who is this?" Shit, maybe that's pushing it a bit too much.

I hear chuckling from the other end, and I close my eyes trying to control the pounding in my ears. Keep it cool, Eddie, keep it cool.

"I thought my father installed Caller ID on your PokeNav last week," Steven answers, his voice sounding amused. "Didn't you see my name before picking up?"

I _knew _I pushed it too much.

"I must've forgotten to check," I quickly mutter in reply, my face turning red. I'm so glad he can't see me. "I thought it sounded like you, Steven, I just wanted to make sure."

"Yea, it's me," he says, sounding more amused than before. He knows me too well, he probably can already tell everything I'm thinking right now even through just listening to my voice. That's just brilliant. "Look outside, Eddie."

I don't really need to be told twice. I immediately jump out of bed and rush to my window, pulling my violet curtains aside. Or well, I _try _to pull them aside. Instead, a part of the damn cloth gets stuck in some crack in the metal rod. Stupid curtains, I think angrily, I knew they were going to be bad news. _I knew._ The colour itself is a fair warning, and I make a mental note to take them down first chance I get.

Finally, after pulling at them for what seems like hours, I hear a faint ripping noise as I pull the curtains apart. I don't really care to see the damage caused to the hideous thing, instead looking straight down my window. Sure enough, standing outside my house and looking as good as ever, it's Steven. He waves up at me, a small smile on his face.

"Come downstairs," he says, and with that, he hangs up.

I don't need to be told twice.

I toss my PokeNav towards my bed as I cut across my room in about two long strides, not even doubling back to see if the thing landed in its destination. I rush down the stairs two at a time, and almost fly to my front door, as if expecting him to have left. But he didn't. He's still standing in the same position he had been a few seconds earlier (and still looking as good as ever).

"Want to take a short walk with me?" he asks as soon as I reach him, gesturing towards the pathway in front of him. I barely manage to mutter "yes" and give a small nod as I follow him out into Route 102, which is located just a few feet away from my house.

"Well, this is unusual of you," I comment as we walk alongside each other, having once again found my voice. "You never come here out of your own accord."

"Yes, it is unusual," he agrees. "It's almost as unusual as you wearing a skirt today. I thought you hated them?" He turns to face me, raising his eyebrows questioningly.

What on Earth...?

Oh damn, I am wearing a pink skirt. Blast it.

Why didn't I take off the damn skirt before meeting with him? Somehow, whenever Steven is involved, I end up turning into a complete oblivious idiot. I don't even know how I manage to breathe and walk.

"Yes, well, you know my mom," I reply, swallowing. "She wanted me to wear one today."

I'm not _lying_, not really anyway. My mom did want me to wear one today…. and just about every other day in the year. Not that I listened to her any of the other days, but today I really had been in no position to reject her. If I had, she wouldn't have gone to get my doll.

Not that I couldn't have gone get it myself. It's just, you know, I have other things to do.

"The new Pokemon doll came out today, I heard," Steven says abruptly. "Is your mother getting it for you?" I turn to face him incredulously, wondering for a flitting instant if he can read minds, until I catch a hint of a sneer on his lips.

Oh fuck, he's caught on. Why does he have to be so damn observant? Why can't he just buy my story for once without question? We'd both be completely happy. Well, I'd be anyway.

This time he's cornered me completely, because I really can see no way around it without flat-out lying. If I lie and say "no, Mom is home, I'll get the doll later myself", he'd ask to go and see her. Yet if I say I'll get it later, he'd ask to go and get it with me.

"Yes, she's out in Petalburg right now," I finally admit, praying for him to drop the subject. "She wanted to check up on Dad."

I see him open his mouth to reply back, but before he can say anything, I quickly say, "So what is your business? Why did you want see me?"

Almost immediately, I can tell he has been trying to delay this question for as long as possible. His amused expression instantly evaporates, instead to be replaced by one I've never seen him sport before. It surprises me a bit to see that he can look like that, seeing as he's normally cool and composed. I can't quite put my finger on the emotions that are display on his face; there are just too many. Hurt? Pity? Shame? Sadness? Which one is it?

"Yes, well, I needed to talk to you," he says, avoiding my eye. I open my eyes wide in surprise at the sudden change in atmosphere, but stay quiet, waiting for him to continue. "This wasn't something I could say over the phone."

Almost at once, my heart starts to beat erratically, and my entire face lights up. Could he... Maybe he's finally changed his mind... Oh my God, I knew this day would come soon, I _knew_ it. I should have been more prepared, should have expected it...

But as Steven begins to talk, it doesn't take long to realize that these aren't the good news I had anticipated. As the seconds pass by and words slip out of his mouth one by one, my smile slowly falters, only to be replaced by a confused frown. Finally, after a few more seconds, I'm left with a look of horror in my face as I realize what he's trying to tell me.

No.

_No._

The last time I remember experiencing this horrible empty feeling in my stomach was over a year ago. It's such an awful feeling, it's hard to forget it that easily. I never thought I would have to go through it again. Not so soon, anyway.

_But it wasn't that horrible in the end_, I hear a voice in the back of my head say. _Last time you met Brendan on the exact same day._

That is true. Last time, the best thing in my life happened the exact same day. In fact, if that day were to be wiped clean from my life, I never would have even had to experience this new, fresh sick feeling in my stomach.

And somehow, I'm hoping that something as good will happen today too.


	2. Brendan Birch

**Author's Note:** Okay, before we get started, I'll quickly explain to new readers the whole confusing deal I was talking about in the previous chapter.

As you can see, the published date of this fanfic is July 2009. And I published the last chapter yesterday (Dec 2009). The original chapter was over 20 Word pages, and spanned from the beginning of Emerald until the player (Eddie, in this case) goes to Petalburg Gym to see Norman for the first time. It was written horribly, so a few weeks after publishing it, I scrapped it (and what I had of chapter 2 at the time), and re-wrote it.

This chapter is where my original chapter 1 started (and where the game starts). Chapter 1, One Year into the Future, is more like a prologue and was not in the original version. I know some found it confusing, but you'll understand what was going on in chapter one more as the story goes... hopefully.

Anywho, this is Chapter 2. Just remember, this fanfic is not fluff-based. I hate fluff, as I don't believe in love-at-first sight – plus, seeing as I'm following the Pokemon Emerald storyline, Steven will only make his appearances here according to the game. That means his first appearance won't be till awhile (which is why I did the prologue last chapter)!

Just... no fluff. Developed romances are the best (and the most realistic).

I swear not all my A/Ns will be this long. Hopefully this is my last long one.

CHEERS, and enjoy the chapter.

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**  
CHAPTER 2:** Brendan Birch

The true key event that led to my meeting Steven was over a year ago. I remembered it clearly.

The day I met Brendan.

My dad had been approved as Gym Leader of Petalburg City, and naturally, that being his dream, he accepted the offer. The only catch was that Petalburg City was located in the Hoenn region, whilst we lived in Goldenrod City in the Johto region. I wasn't really that keen on the move, but my mom was _ecstatic_. Plus, once she made up her mind, there was no changing it. Thus we moved, and my mom dragged me along with her and Dad without question.

My mom's and my life had often been influenced by the same decision; if a crossroad concerning the two of us came up, we both took the same path. I'd love to say our minds worked together to come to a sensible solution, but to say that would be a lie. Our minds did not work together, but instead it was Mom's mind that overpowered both of ours. This was something I had grown used to for the most part, sometimes even liking the fact that I didn't have to strain my head, but occasionally, just occasionally, something came up that I just wished I could have a say in. Our move to Hoenn was one of those occasions.

I had lived in Goldenrod all my life, and to have Mom bursting into the house and announcing we'd be moving to an unknown town in a week's time… I can't say I was pleased. I had my entire life in Goldenrod, and to leave it behind and start new was, well, unthinkable.

The move itself was exhausting enough, both physically and emotionally, and by the time the moving truck arrived at Littleroot Town, I felt like someone who had been sleep deprived for days. Sadly, Dad's inauguration at Petalburg was the same day, and it certainly wasn't a choice to skip it.

The thing is, the inauguration was supposed to be short and informal, only consisting of a 30-minute speech. Normal people would assume "informal" also includes clothing; then again, my mom isn't exactly what most people would consider normal.

What did she do? She went overboard. She started fussing over what to wear, for both her and me. I knew we weren't supposed to make a big deal out of clothing, but I bit my lip and stayed quiet; my mom wasn't one to listen to others.

As two women worked on prettying me up that day (two hours in town, and Mom already found me some personal stylists), I was filled with horrifying thoughts of how my new life would play out. Would I be unpopular, and would everyone grow to really hate me? Would I be the girl everyone tried to keep away from? "Who is that girl?" someone would ask about me, and the girl who lived across street would reply, "That's Eddie – I know, strange name – Caroline and Norman's daughter, and she thinks she's better than all of us. She's a bitch, stay away from her." The person who asked the original question wouldn't even bother to talk to me, having listened to my neighbour.

God, the thought of it made the hair on my back stand. I would have to check first chance I got to whether I'd have a snobby female neighbour my age, and if by the unfortunate chance I did… well, I could always run away. Or maybe I could try to befriend her first, to avoid her spreading gossip.

But what if we got into a fight, and she turned to be the type of person who went around getting people against me? Shit, maybe it would just be better if Mom befriended _her_ mother, and then our families got along together, and maybe her mother would love Pokemon, and she'd convince my Mom they're not so bad, and I'd be allowed to get one…

"You have such pretty hair, Edna," one of my personal stylists commented, letting my long hair slip through between her fingers. "It really goes well with these shoes."

I flinched, just as I always did, at the mention of my given name. God, it was such an awful name. It really does make me wonder what was going through my mother's mind when she picked that out for me. Out of _all_ names in the world...

"Eddie, please," I corrected her, noticing the weary tone to my voice.

One does get sick, you know, of having to continuously correct people on what they wish to be called. I mostly blamed it on my dear old mother, who seemed to think introducing me by my chosen name is "bad manners and gives off a bad first impression."

"Whatever would people think if they assumed I was foolish enough to give you such an awful name?" she said to me one day. I guess I could kind of understand where she was coming from. "Eddie" isn't a typical female name, is it? But "Edna" is hardly any better. Still, she could have at least _mentioned_ that no one's called Edna since that god awful day eleven years ago.

I was a new student at my school in Goldenrod, and was a pretty happy and cheery five-year old. Back then, I didn't care to be addressed by my given name, but then again, hardly any kids that age care about anything much. But then, one of my classmates stuck a finger down his throat at the mention of my name, and told the entire class that his grandmother was named Edna, and it was an awful name to have. The thought stuck, and after getting home later that day, I threatened to bite anyone who continued to call me Edna.

Most people agreed to call me by my self-imposed nickname of Eddie without question, the sole exception being...

My mom. What a surprise.

It actually took me six years of effort to get her to permanently switch from Edna to Eddie, and I think it was mostly because the name managed to rub off on her from everyone else. That still stands out as my sole achievement of getting Mom to do what I wanted.

Of course, all that still didn't stop her from introducing me as Edna, and repeating the name-correction process I always had to go through.

"Right, sorry Eddie," my stylist said, and I could have sworn I felt my hair get tugged a bit harder. "So, do you think the shoes look good?"

Mom probably made me out to be a fashion princess, yet I knew nothing about fashion and dresses and hair. I was basically just like a mannequin that sat there, waiting for other people to dress it. I had no idea how to mix and match clothing, or the slightest idea why people found skirts attractive. If you tossed me into a clothing store and told me to pick out an outfit for myself, I'd probably come out two minutes later with a plain shirt and shorts on hand. I sometimes wondered if Mom wished she had another daughter to play dress-up with.

"I don't know, I suppose they do if you think so," I replied in the same weary tone. The woman frowned at me quizzically, and I really couldn't blame her.

Ow. That was my foot she just stepped on.

***

Over 2 hours later, Mom and I were standing up in a podium with Dad, in front of the Petalburg Gym. Mom, as always, was trying to bring herself attention. That sparkly dress she was wearing apparently wasn't enough, seeing as she was puffing out her chest in importance and beaming at the crowd before her. Personally, I was just trying to ignore all the curious eyes running over me, while keeping up with Dad's speech at the same time.

"I'm quite honoured to be here as the new Leader of Petalburg Gym –" he paused for a second, smiling down at the crowd waiting for him to continue with bated breath. "I've traveled far with my wife, Caroline, and daughter, Edna, to come here and give my best to this job..."

Grr. WHY WHY WHY did have to have to say Edna? WHY WHY WHY couldn't he have said Eddie?

Great, just great. Now everyone would know me as Edna, Norman's daughter. Now I would have to correct people on my name all day. People would come up to me and say, "Hello, Edna" and I'd have to say, "Eddie, please" all day long.

Shit, now everyone was looking at me. Quick, avoid them by looking down.

As if this day could get crummier already. I knew Dad only introduced me as Edna because Mom was nearby, but I still coudn't help but feel a bit resentful towards him.

It wasn't only because of that, but because Dad always acted like Mom's lapdog; if I ever wanted something, it had to go through Mom' approval first. Once, I tried to get him to come shopping with me to buy a pair of sneakers Mom didn't like. If I had known he would have called her… Let's just say I never tried that again.

It just seems as if Dad is more interested in making Mom happy than seeing as to what I might want. It's not really that difficult to be resentful.

Anyhow, this was Dad's day, and I wasn't about to ruin it by complaining about how much my feet hurt in these stupid sandals. So I just plastered a fake smile onto my face and pretended to not care about being introduced by an awful name often sported by grandmothers five times my age.

The inauguration officially ended once Dad finished his speech. The crowd began to disperse, but a few people stayed behind, mostly to personally congratulate Dad. Unfortunately, I wasn't allowed to leave then, as Mom kept an iron-grip hold on my shoulder when I tried to walk away. I also saw a small flicker of warning pass over her Perfect Wife charade, and immediately understood that I wasn't yet dismissed.

Mom eventually left me alone to talk with some other people about how perfect of a wife she was, and I tried hard to blend in with the tree I was leaning against. The task proved hard to achieve, seeing as the cocktail golden dress I wore cast a gleam so bright it was difficult for anyone to ignore it. Not only that, but Mom kept glancing over at me every few minutes, so that meant I couldn't run away. Shoot.

"…fucking women, can't stand the lot of them…"

I looked up at the sound of the voice, interested despite myself. A second later, I found myself looking at a boy around my age, staggering towards me, an irritated expression etched clearly on his face. He looked up for a second, and our eyes met, and I felt a small jolt of alert inside me. Damn, he saw me looking.

He froze in his tracks, staring straight at me. I felt my face turn red and looked down at my feet trying to avoid him, but it was too late, I could already hear the crunching of leaves underneath his feet as he approached me. Shit, shit, what should I do? Okay, maybe he wasn't really coming over to me. I mean, why would he? He was probably just here to talk to someone else around here…

"You're Eddie Knell, aren't you? Norman's kid?"

Shit, he was talking to me. Okay, what I'd do was, I'd look up and deny the claim. Yeah, that should at least get him confused. I'd then point at some random girl in the crowd, stated _she _was Eddie, and he'd go away and leave me alone and…

Wait a second. Did he just call me Eddie? No stranger would call me that.

"Do I know you?" I suddenly found myself asking bluntly, frowning at him. I immediately regretted my lack of manners, and racked my brains for a quick way to backtrack and re-question him in a nicer way. However, he didn't seem to mind, instead shaking his head and chuckling, all traces of irritation gone from his face.

"Not directly, no. But I've heard about you." He jerked his thumb to his left, and I saw for a flitting instant a flicker of the former annoyance back on his face.

Curious, I turned to see where he was pointing. It was Mom and an unknown woman, both looking at us expectantly. Once they noticed me staring at them, they flushed deep red and turned around, pretending to be deep in conversation.

"They're like gossiping old women." Dislike was clear in his voice. He glared at them, looking disgusted. "I couldn't stomach another second of them."

I blinked at him, my mouth wide open. What the hell was he talking about? Okay, this was getting weird. Curiosity was prickling me even more than before. Just who the hell was this guy?

"I'm Brendan Birch, by the way," he said, answering my thoughts. The way he said "Birch" clearly showed he was proud of his family roots. "My father, Professor Birch, is a friend of Norman's."

Oh, well, that explained everything. Dad had a huge picture of him and Professor Birch in his room for the longest time; it was really hard to miss. It didn't go down till Mom complained about it clashing with the rest of the room, but even then, I still remembered the picture clearly. Plus, it was Professor Birch who informed him of the search of a Leader for Petalburg Gym, as Dad had proudly stated over a million times.

"Oh, Professor Birch, yea, I know him," I finally managed to say, glad to find out I could still talk. "Dad's told us loads about him."

"I reckon he has," Brendan said, his eyes now gleaming like stars. "Your mom, though." He stole a quick glance at my mother. "She let _slip_ quite a few things about you."

Damn, that didn't sound good. I'd better start denying everything right now, and make Mom seem like some sort of deluded person.

"W – What sort of things?" I asked, swallowing nervously. I braced myself for the worst, ready to deny all claims as soon as they came out of his mouth.

"Come take a walk with me," he said, gesturing to the pathway behind us. "I'll tell you then."

"It's not tr - Wait, what?" I said, blinking stupidly. "A walk?"

I glanced over at Mom, who was obviously listening intently to both Brendan and I while pretending to be conversing with the unknown woman. I doubted she'd let me leave. Personally, I didn't really want to go on a walk, especially in these painful sandals, but I really did want to know what my mom had let slip about me. Especially if it was to Professor Birch's son; no doubt I'd have to see him often.

Brendan followed my gaze, and chuckled. "Your mom?" he guessed, raising his eyebrows. "Don't worry; she's easily taken care of." Without waiting for an answer, he seized my hand in his own gloved one, and lifted it up in the air. I gaped at him, appalled, and was about to ask what the hell he thought he was doing.

"Caroline, Mom, I'm taking Eddie out for a walk," he called over to the two women, waving our entwined hands in the hair like a flag. Mother and the unknown woman (Mrs. Birch, I suppose) exchanged looks, and simultaneously broke into huge smiles.

Somehow, it seemed like this is what they had been expecting, but it really didn't clear up anything for me. I stared at Brendan with a bewildered expression, trying to figure out just what exactly was going on.

"Okay, you two kids have _fun_, alright?" Mrs. Birch yelled back, beaming.

Just like that, the penny dropped. The way hers and Mom's eyes were both gleaming happily at our entwined hands in the air. The way Mrs. Birch emphasized "fun". The way she _just_ winked at Brendan and me.

Bless my soul. They _were_ like gossiping old women.


End file.
